


Mirrors

by somnivagrantTraviatus



Series: Headcanons [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Autistic Papyrus, Gen, multiverse crasher, optimistic nihilism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 03:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11327391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somnivagrantTraviatus/pseuds/somnivagrantTraviatus
Summary: The best -- and worst -- part of having duplicates of yourself running around is what they say about the deepest parts of your character.





	1. Chapter 1

It’s weird at first, seeing Sans look so… happy. The straightness of his spine and the sparkles in his eyes look strange and out of place, and his smile is bright and wide (and what does it say about him, that he never quite noticed how deep the shadows under Sans’s eyes had gotten until Sans’s brightness threw them into sharp relief?). Still, the way Sans looks at him is familiar, and his laugh is unmistakably Sans’s.

“YOU’RE LIKE ME!”

Papyrus looks down, comparing their battle bodies. His own is superior, of course, but the similarities are obvious. “I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS MORE LIKE MYSELF, BUT WE DO BEAR A CERTAIN RESEMBLANCE TO EACH OTHER!”

“IT WOULD BE RATHER DIFFICULT TO MISS,” Sans agrees, eyes twinkling. “BUT I WAS REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO OUR SHARED DUTY.” He jerks his head to indicate their lazy brothers, then winks. “OBVIOUSLY, YOU’RE THE MORE DEVOTED SENTRY OF YOUR DUO.”

Papyrus winks back, as loudly as he can. “IT’S TRUE! SANS COULDN’T EVEN MAKE IT TO HIS STATION ON TIME WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS VERY HANDSOME, AND INCREDIBLY PUNCTUAL, BROTHER. AND HE NEVER! RECALIBRATES! HIS PUZZLES!!!”

“MINE DOESN’T, EITHER.” Sans thoughtfully rests his chin on a fist. “SAY… WITH MY KNOWLEDGE, AND YOUR FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE — AND THE OTHER WAY AROUND, OF COURSE! — I BET WE COULD PUT TOGETHER THE PERFECT PLAN TO GET OUR BROTHERS OUT THE DOOR IN THE MORNING. WHAT DO YOU SAY?”

It’s all he can do not to throw his hands up and whoop in happiness. Instead, he gives Sans a big smile and channels the rest of his energy into his favorite cape-flapping pose. “OF COURSE!! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO LEND HIS ASSISTANCE, WHEREVER IT IS REQUIRED. NYEH HEH HEH!”

Sans brightens even further, somehow, and begins to bounce in place. “OH MY GOODNESS, YOU HAVE A POSE TOO?? THIS IS AMAZING!!! WE _HAVE_ TO PRACTICE GROUP POSES TOGETHER, MWEH HEH HEH! ” Then he vanishes, reappearing on Papyrus’s shoulders in a triumphant pose of his own. “JUST THINK -- THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND THE FANTASTIC SANS!! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A BETTER TEAM?”

His willingness to teleport in plain view is another strangeness, but Papyrus is well used to his brother’s abilities and bears the sudden weight with ease. “OF COURSE! ANY TEAM WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS ON IT IS A WONDERFUL TEAM INDEED.”


	2. Chapter 2

All he can think, at first, is that he failed.

Papyrus deserves better than the nightmares that’ve etched themselves under his sockets. That’s Sans’s job, facing the horrors of the world so his bro never has to see, and there’re a few people out there who deserve to hide themselves away in stained sleeves and hoods but, oh, it _hurts_ to see Papyrus that low, fingertips burned yellow where he’s been smoking away the stress.

“you too, huh?”

Sans only just manages to hide a flinch. “heh. guess so.”

~~His bro~~ ~~Pap~~ The other skeleton nods, turning to watch their respective brothers so he can avoid eye contact. The slump of his shoulders would be imperceptible to the untrained eye, but unfortunately for both of them, the eye’s the only part of Sans anyone _could_ call trained. “ i just can’t stop thinking,” he murmurs, shifting uncomfortably when he realizes that Sans is listening. “...would he like me better? if i was more like that?”

And that’s a whole ‘nother thing, isn’t it. He follows the other guy’s gaze, watching as his bro chats animatedly with his own off-brand doppelgänger. It’s unsettling, and a little embarrassing, honestly, watching somebody parading around like that wearing his face, but his bro does look happy. And his life would be easier, wouldn’t it? If he had someone like the other Sans to talk to, instead of having to look after a useless lump?

Probably. But… “doesn’t really matter, does it?”

The other guy sighs. Sans knows should probably leave it at that, but he just can’t stop talking, can he? Always running his big fat mouth. “even if you tried, it wouldn’t make a difference. you could never pull it off.”

“yeah.” The guy scratches his side, half-grinning as he watches Papyrus brag. “not that i would ever try in the first place. that’d be way too much work.”

“so if you know it’s never gonna happen, why bother worrying about it? ‘s not like you’re gonna change anything.”

The other guy blinks, his mouth beginning to curve. “heh. i like the way you think.”

Sans blinks back, a lazy acknowledgement, and sits back with him, watching their brothers smile.


End file.
